Something More
by raisintorte
Summary: Five short ficlets about Sam and John during the five stages of love. [SGASG1 Crossover. Sam CarterJohn Sheppard, Spoilers: SGA: The Tower, SG1: The Fourth Horseman]


**Spoilers:** through SG1: Fourth Horseman Part II; SGA: The Tower  
**A/N:** This was written for the stages of love challenge over on LJ. The stories were written as five stand alone ficlets that tie together. Thanks to Smittywing and Recca for betaing.

* * *

**-- Attraction -- **

She thinks he's cute and charming, but that's part of the problem. From what she can tell, she's not alone in this opinion. Everyone thinks he's cute and charming. She's only been in Atlantis five days and she's heard all about his Kirk-like ways.

Sam's heard all about Chaya, "the ascended hussy that messed with his mind" (according to McKay), but if she's using his alleged experiences as a meter of sorts she really can't hold that one against him. She's had her own glowy sexual encounter. She'd have to ask him his opinion on the ascended "sharing." He really is the only person that would fully understand what happened. Hopefully his ascended partner won't come back as a child, the way hers had.

Rumor has it that he had kissed Teyla, but neither of them were talking. Also, given the fact that John had been in the process of turning into a bug at the time . . . it might be excusable. She has to smile because this is another shared experience. She practically assaulted Jack while being turned into a primitive. Jumping one's teammate while transforming into something alien is not an experience a lot of people could empathize with . . . but she could.

McKay had delighted in telling her about John's experience in the time dilation field and had speculated on whether or not John had slept with Teer. She didn't know what she would do in a similar situation. She'd like to think she would never stop looking for a way out and would wait for rescue but she didn't know. Thankfully, she'd never been stranded on a planet for a long period of time, with no hope of rescue.

Thinking back to her own intergalactic romances reminds her that anything can happen, and that unless you're the one experiencing it? You can't know for sure what really happened.

She thinks the only way to decide what he's really like is to talk to the man himself. She's been in meetings with him, gone running with him and Ronon, and worked with him, but she hasn't really spent any time getting to know him.

She tracks him down in the sparring room one afternoon. He's obviously just finished working out because he's sweating and breathing hard. His hair is plastered to his head, but somehow he still manages to look sexy.

She doesn't know what to say when he asks why she's there. She can't think of a good excuse in time, so she just says that she was looking for him. And when he grins and asks her if she wants to grab a bite, she accepts. No time like the present to find out what's true and what isn't and to learn about the man behind the rumors.

He cute and charming and she knows that they'll be friends. But she thinks she might want something more.

**-- Romance --  
**

After the second shot she removed her jacket. She smiled at him as she took it off and set it down next her.

John never pictured Sam as a silly drunk. But here he was, sitting with her, half into a bottle of Tequila, and she's been slowly removing her clothing for the last hour.

They had taken to having lunch together every day, and he enjoyed her company. She was gorgeous, smart, funny and the fact she could probably kick his ass was strangely hot. So he invited her out for a picnic on the south pier.

Wine would have made more sense, but he didn't have any wine. Jose, he did have, so Jose is what he brought.

Shot four was her shoes and socks. She curled her feet under her legs and giggled. He even thought he heard a cute little hiccup but she blushed when he grinned so he decided not to tease her about it . . . for now.

From her smile, he could tell she knew this was more than two officers having a casual dinner. (Even though dinner was just two turkey sandwiches and tequila.) This was a military base, not exactly the place for haute cuisine, but he tried, and he could see that he was getting points for the effort.

He scooted over next to her, he was matching her shot for shot, but the alcohol was obviously having a greater effect on her.

After shot seven, she took off her ear piece and gave him what he assumed was her best "come hither" look. John thought the fact she was unable to hold the look for more than a few seconds without laughing was adorable.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in tight. She snuggled in and rested her head on his legs. He knew there would be no kissing tonight, she was too drunk for that, but cuddling was good.

John laughed out loud when she started snoring. Soft snuffles peppered with the occasional snort. There was a special quality about her, and the fact he was smiling and laughing when his date was snoring in his lap, was a testament to this.

He wasn't sure how long they sat like that, but he knew he had to get her home, eventually. He tried to rouse her, but she wasn't moving. He gently moved her off his lap, and fought with her footwear. She snuffled a bit but didn't wake.

He packed up their trash and grabbed her jacket and tried to think of the best way to carry her home . . . without getting caught. This wasn't something he wanted going 'round the gossip mills tomorrow.

He picked her up and she murmured indistinctly as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face into the crook of his shoulder.

Sam is a silly drunk and John hopes this was just the first of many times he gets to see her sleeping, curled up in his arms.

**-- Passion --  
**

Sam loved the feeling of John's arms around her -- she felt warm, safe, and secure in a way she hadn't felt in a long time.

Given the nature of her job, it had been hard for her to maintain relationships over the years. Sometimes they crashed and burned almost before leaving the ground. Some were just never meant to be.

With John it was different.

She had first been attracted to his cute and charming manner, and then she fell in love with his sense of humor and the sharp intelligence he hid under the charm. She loved eating meals with him, running around Atlantis with him and Ronon, and just hanging out watching old football games.

What she loved the most though, were the times when they were lying like this, warm and naked with his arms wrapped around her, holding her close.

She also loved how they got into this position.

The feel of his skin sliding against hers, her hands on him, his lips on hers, her lips on him, it really was amazing sex.

John was not her first, and he probably wouldn't be her last. It's not that she wasn't a romantic at heart, or didn't want this to last or be permanent, it's just she was realistic. Given their current line of work, the rate at which people died, went missing, came back to life, died again, and went missing again, _something_ was bound to happen.

That's why she loved these little moments the best, when they were just Sam and John. Lt. Col. Carter and Lt. Col. Sheppard were somewhere else and Sam was just a woman and John was just a man. When they were alone together rank and responsibilities got left at the door.

She hadn't come to Atlantis looking for a relationship, and she didn't even know if you could define what she had with John as a relationship, but whatever it was, it was something special.

It was nice after a long day to go back to quarters, and have someone there. Someone who kissed her scars and didn't have to ask where she got them. Someone who could make her world spin just by kissing her forehead.

Someone who would wrap his arms around her, pull her close and she could snuggle in and fall asleep -- safe, happy, and warm.

**-- Intimacy --  
**

He didn't know how they got into playing twenty questions but after five minutes he knew it was going to be the most fascinating conversation he'd had in a long time.

It started getting interesting when John asked her what the craziest thing she had ever done was and she responded with "blew up a sun." Actually, she didn't say "blew up a sun," she said something about using a gate connected to a black hole to create an artificial supernova. To which John deadpanned "In other words, you blew up a sun."

Sam laughed for almost ten minutes when he told her the story about McKay and the invulnerability shield. She told him about the many, many times she had wanted to shoot Rodney herself. John wasn't surprised when she asked if there were more shields around; she wanted the chance to take a shot at McKay.

They laughed and joked about crazy alien rituals and the silly things they both done over the years. John loved the time loop story, and he wanted to go back to Earth just so he could meet Urgo. Sam giggled when John told her about being put into a satin covered bordello and propositioned by the princess. She didn't believe him when he said he hadn't seen it coming.

Sam told him every detail of the space race she was allowed to participate in, and John thought that just might be the coolest thing he'd every heard. She got to race an alien space ship, though a dangerous course, on another planet. He can't help but hope that he finds a technologically advanced planet in the Pegasus Galaxy that will let him do that, and says so.

They talked about what it felt like to have your body taken over by another entity. And while it didn't turn out exactly as planned (surprise, surprise), at least John has chosen to be possessed. Sam, on the other hand, had been possessed more than once against her will.

The conversation took a more serious tone when she started talking about her father, and how she had almost lost him, then got him back, and then recently lost him again. John talked about the storm and the Genii. He didn't regret killing all of those men, but it was still something he had to live with.

They both know that he doesn't talk about Sumner and she doesn't talk about General O'Neill. He thinks he might just be in love, and that she might actually love him back, but there are some things they just aren't ready to share yet. Someday, he knows they will, but today is not that day.

He loves talking to her and being with her. The time they spend together is more enjoyable and relaxing then anything he has experienced in his recent history.

** -- Commitment --  
**

Sam had been married in many alien ceremonies before, but she had never wanted to stay married - until the people of PX4-383 married her to John Sheppard.

This was one of the more typical wedding ceremonies Sam had participated in, a ring of flowers on her head, a red sash over John's shoulder, nondescript chanting, the drinking of unidentified beverages. All followed by the presentation of trading goods and well wishes through the Stargate.

It was the first time Sam had gotten married to someone she was actually dating. It was also the first time she felt something more than mild amusement during the ceremony. She hoped John felt something more as well. He kept looking at her with a smile in his eyes and she thought that meant it was more than just another alien wedding ceremony.

When they got back to Atlantis there were the usual jokes and cat calls. Rodney and John had their usual snarky banter but something was different this time. It was almost like John didn't want to make jokes about this marriage. At least that's what Sam hoped.

During the debrief, Elizabeth handed them the standard USAF Alien Marriage Annulment form, except for the first time, Sam didn't want to fill it out. She looked at John and when he smiled and tucked the form away, promising to deal with it later, she followed his lead.

After the debriefing, she expected John to go back to his office, while she headed for her lab, so she was rather surprised when he grabbed her arm and pulled them into his quarters.

John took the papers she was holding and set them on counter and wrapped his arms around her. She almost melted when he murmured in her ear that he didn't even get to kiss her at the ceremony. She started to say that it was okay, but he cut her off with his mouth.

Sam pulled back from the kiss and looked John in the eyes. She wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled in tight.

She didn't know what she was going to do about the marriage or the form but for now? She was happy just waiting to see what the future might hold for her.


End file.
